What boy would not want a cannon?
Images of Revolutionary War soldiers manning the artillery line at Bunker Hill come to mind. Smoke billowing from the barrel with a flame following a cannon ball heading down range towards its intended target.
Through the generous donation from one of our long standing Cincinnati Chapter SAR members, we have been gifted a replica cannon.
A before picture of the donated cannon
It is early, however we are investigating the history and authenticity of this cannon. We are confident that it is a reproduction and not an American Revolutionary war era artifact.
Initial research identifies this cannon as an “English Swivel Gun”, which was most commonly used as an anti-personnel weapon, usually mounted on a swivel mechanism on the side of a ship, the wall of a fort, or on a pedestal, so it could be pointed in any direction.
It is one of the largest “swivel guns” and one of the smallest cannon types. We believe the latter use is why it is commonly mounted on a carriage and use it for ceremonies, re-enactments etc..
A prospective “after” photo showing what the replica cannon can look like restored
Much research and repairs will be required to determine its condition and whether it can be safely fired (blanks of course!). Ideally it will be able to fire it at ceremonies and possibly grave markings. We will be conducting this research soon to determine how we can best use it.
Donating it to the SAR museum is an option if its condition is such that it can’t fired, and we can’t find another place to display it.
At this point, knowing that it was donated by a member for use by our chapter, we will move forward to clean it up, repair the carriage and have the barrel inspected and tested for safety. Proper due diligence will be performed prior to using it.
Cincinnati SAR members disassemble and load the cannon for transport
It after inspection, the barrel cannot be fired Plan B is to restore it to its former glory and display it somewhere.
Some interesting facts about the cannon:
The barrel is 30” long, and the bore is 1.75” in diameter. It would fire about a ¾ pound ball.
We will be seeking volunteers to help in restoring this piece, as well as bringing in experts within SAR who can help us determine next steps. The cannon is broken down into separate parts so you can volunteer to clean up one or many parts. We need your help!
This journey will play out over the next year.
Follow the journey as we provide updates.
Can you say “Boom!!”
